What are the New Question Types in PTE Academic

Do not panic! Of course, new items will be added from 7th August 2025 in PTE Test Format, but we have a quick solution for this. Let us delve deeper into these two new questions!

What to expect Summarize the Group discussion?

Task: Listen to a discussion between 3 people, then summarize the discussion in your own words.

Prompt Length: Up to 3 minutes

Skills Assessed: Listening and Speaking

Time to Answer: 2 minutes

How to answer this question?

Please note: This question type will be introduced from 7 August 2025. Any tests taken before this date will not include this question type.

For this question type, you need to summarize what you heard.

The audio begins to play automatically. After the audio finishes, you have 10 seconds to prepare and two minutes to speak.

The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.

• You should speak clearly and calmly.
• Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed.
• You are only able to record your response once.

Note: While the audio is playing, you can take notes on the erasable whiteboard provided.

Scoring:
Content: 6
Oral Fluency: 5
Pronunciation: 5

Key Phrases are as follows:

Here are some useful phrases you can use to summarize a group discussion in the PTE (Pearson Test of English) speaking section, particularly during the Group Discussion or Speaking Summarize tasks:

🔹 Opening Summary Phrases

• “In brief, the discussion focused on…”
• “The group engaged in a thoughtful exchange of ideas about…”
• “The main theme of the discussion was centered on…”
• “As the discussion unfolded, it became clear that…”

• “During the group conversation, multiple aspects of the topic were analyzed…”
• “The group conversation provided insights into…”

🔹 Highlighting Key Points

• “The main points raised were…”
• “They agreed that…”
• “One of the key ideas was…”
• “Several members emphasized that…”
• “There was a strong opinion about…”
• “Several key viewpoints were brought up during our discussion on…”

🔹 Mentioning Different Opinions

• “Some members believed that…, while others thought…”
• “There were mixed opinions regarding…”
• “A few participants suggested…, whereas others argued…”
• “The group had differing views on…”

🔹 Concluding Statements

• “In the end, they reached a general agreement that…”
• “To conclude, the group leaned towards…”
• “Though opinions varied, they mostly agreed that…”
• “The discussion helped them understand different perspectives on…”
• “To summarize the discussion…”
• “To sum up what has been said…”
• “Overall, the group talked about…”
• “In brief, the discussion focused on…”

What to expect in ‘Respond to a Situation’?

• Task: Listen to and read a description of a situation. Then answer a question about it with an extended response.
• Prompt Length: Text up to 60 words
• Skills Assessed: Speaking
• Time to Answer: 40 seconds

How to answer this question?

Please note: This question type will be introduced from 7 August 2025. Any tests taken before this date will not include this question type.

For this question type you need to listen to and read a prompt describing an everyday situation. You then need to provide a spoken response describing what you would say in the situation.

You will have 10 seconds to think about your response, and then 40 seconds to speak.

The audio recording will play automatically.

After the audio finishes you will have 10 seconds to prepare.

The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You will hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.

• You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
• Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” will change to “Completed”.
• You can only listen to the audio recording once.
• You can only record your response once.

Note: While the audio is playing you can take notes on the erasable whiteboard provided.

Scoring:
Content: 6
Oral Fluency: 5
Pronunciation: 5

Here are useful phrases you can use to respond to a situation in the PTE Speaking section:

✅ General Structure to Follow

1. Acknowledge the situation
2. Express empathy or understanding
3. Give a response, suggestion, or opinion
4. Offer a solution or next step

🔹 Opening Phrases – Acknowledging the Situation

• “I understand how you feel.”
• “That must be really frustrating.”
• “I see what you’re going through.”
• “Thanks for sharing this with me.”
• “Oh, that sounds like a tough situation.”

🔹 Offering Advice or Suggestions

• “If I were you, I would…”
• “You might want to consider…”
• “Why don’t you try…”
• “One thing you could do is…”
• “It might help if you…”

🔹 Reassuring the Listener

• “I’m sure things will get better.”
• “Don’t worry, there’s a way to handle this.”
• “That’s actually more common than you think.”
• “You’re not alone in this.”

🔹 Offering Help or Support

• “Let me know if you need any help.”
• “I’d be happy to support you.”
• “We can figure this out together.”
• “You should talk to someone you trust.”

🔹 Polite Closings

• “I hope that helps.”
• “Let me know how it goes.”
• “I wish you all the best with that.”
• “Take care and good luck!”

Example:

Situation: Your friend is nervous about a job interview.
Response: “I understand you’re feeling nervous, and that’s completely normal before a big interview. If I were you, I’d try to prepare some answers in advance and practice with a friend. Also, try to get a good night’s sleep beforehand. You’ve got this — just be confident in your skills!”

BONUS TIP:

Maintain the natural rate of speech, and speak calmly. This will boost confidence, and you will score better in PTE Speaking! All the best.